Platform-scale.



Patented Feb. 25, 1902.

. A. DUERING.

' PLATFORM SCALE.

(Application med Mar. 23, 1001. 2 Sheets-Sheet I.

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NITED STATES.

PATENT OFFI E AUGUST DOERING, OF BURT, IOWA,-ASSIGNOR OF THREE-FOURTHSTO WM. K. FERGUSON, E. J. MURTAGH, AND WILFRID P. JONES,

OF ALGONA, IOWA.

PLATFORM-SCALE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 693,847, dated February25, -1 902. Applieation filed March 23, 1901. Serial No. 52,569. (Nomodel.)

T0 at whom it may concern Be it known that I, AUGUST DOERING, a citizenof the United States, residing at Burt, in.

the county of Kossuth and State of Iowa, have invented certain new anduseful Improvements in Platform-Scales; and I do hereby declare thefollowing to be a full, clear, and exact description of theinvention,such as will enable-others skilled in the art to which it appertainstomake and use the same.

- This invention relates to scales for weighing wagons, cars, androlling-stock of every description, the purpose being accuracy,responsive and cooperative movement between the parts, durability, andsimplicity of construction. The mountings are such as to reduce theengaging surfaces to the smallest amount possible and prevent slippingor-displacement, thereby obviating delays incident to readjustment andfitting of the parts when they become disarranged.

For a full description of theinvention and the merits thereof and alsoto acquire a knowledge of the details of construction of the means foreffecting the result reference is to be had to the following descriptionand drawings hereto attached. 1

- While the essential and characteristic features of the invention arenecessarily susceptible of modification, still the preferred embodimentof the invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in whichFigure 1 is a plan view of a platform-scale embodying the invention,parts being broken away. Fig. 2 is an end View. Fig. 8 isa detail viewin perspective of the mounting for an arm of a lever. Fig. 4 is aperspective view of the inner ends of apair of levers, showing theconnecting means. Fig. 5 isa detail View of the connection between thescalebeam and the arm of the rock shaft or bar connected with theplatform-levers. Fig. 6 is a detail view in perspective of therock-shaft or connecting-bar between the scale-beam andplatform-levers.Fig. 7 is a transverse section of the platform and longitudinal sills.Fig. 8 is a detail section, on anenlarg ed scale, showing theantifriction bearingbetween the opposing sides of adjacent beams of theplatform and well. Fig. 9 is a plan View of the levers and connectionsarranged for Weighing cars and long bodies.

Corresponding and like parts are referred to in the followingdescription and indicated in all the views of the drawings by the samereference characters. 7

As is usual in devices of this character, in the well or pit, in whichare located the platform levers, mountings, and connections therefor, aframe is provided and surrounds the upper end of the said pit, and inthe present instance this frame consists of longitudinal sills 1 andcross-timbers 2, rigidly connected at their ends with the sills 1, so asto form a substantial structure.

The platform comprises a series of longitudinal timbers 3 and planks orboards 4, nailed or otherwise secured to the substructure comprising thetimbers 3. The platform-levers 5 are of ordinary construction andcomprise divergent arms,which have pivotal-connection with theplatformand frame of the pit or well at their outer ends, their inner endsbeing. connected to a rock-shaft 6 insuch a manner as to eifecta turningthereof when a weight is imposed upon the.plat form, so as to cause amovement of the'scalebeam 7, whereby the weight of the load may bedetermined in the usual way. Inasmuch as each arm of the platform-leversis similarly mounted, a detailed description of one only will be given.An upright or pillowblock 8 is bolted or otherwise fastened to the frameof the pit or well, and its upper end is cut away or forked to providespaced members or branches to receive'between them; the outer end of anarm of a lever 5. The upper'ends of the branches are widened anddepressed to receiveafulcrum-bar 9 of approximately triangular form incross-section,,a n edge of said fulcrum-bar obtaining a bearing upon theupright or pillow-block 8. An opening 10 is formed near the outer end ofeach arm of the levers and receives a pin 11,

from which a link 12 is pendent, and which receives a rod or bar 13,having a knife-edged bearing 13 to engage said link, and by means ofwhich corresponding arms of the respective levers are connected, saidrods or bars 13 being attached to the platform in any substantial andrigid manner. The inner ends of the levers 5 maybe connected in anyman-- ner which will admit of their free movement without binding, and,as shown, the inner end portions overlap or pass by each other and areconnected by a shackle in a manner presently to be described.

The scale-beam 7 may be of any type and graduated and constructed in anydesired Way and is mounted in a box or casing 15, conveniently located.

The rock-shaft or connecting rod or bar 6 is mounted so as to turnfreely and is provided near one end with an arm 16 and near its oppositeend with an arm or lever 17 of greater length. This part 6 maybe alength of pipe or tube or may be solid, and its outline in cross-sectionmay be of any desired form, these details being immaterial so long asthe part serves to transmit motion from the platform-levers to the rodattached to the scalebeam. Knife-edged bearings 18 are provided upon theunder side of the rock-shaft 6 at suitable points and are mounted uponstandards 19, secured to a sill or timber located in the pit or well.The connecting-bar 20 is adapted to be lengthened and shortened, beingcomposed of parts connected by a turnbuckle, and this connectingbar ishooked at its upper end in the usual way to make detachable connectionwith a yoke 21, having loose connection with the scale beam. A yoke 22is fitted to the lower end of the bar 20, and the plate 23 thereof isrecessed or depressed in its top side to receive a fulcrumstud 24L,pendent from the outer end of the lever or arm 17. The short arm orlever 16 is provided at its free end with a pin 26 of approximatelytriangular form in cross-section, and eyebolts 27 are pendent fromopposite ends thereof and are connected by plates 28 and 29, which arerecessed in their top sides to receive fulcrum -studs 30, pendent fromthe inner ends of the platform-levers. This construction is shown mostclearly in Fig. 4. The plates 28 and 29 are vertically adjustable, beingsupported by nuts 31, fitted to the threaded portions of the eyebolts27. This manner of connecting the platform-levers to the arm 16 admitsof independent adjustment of the said levers with reference to the arm16, whereby variation in wear,workmanship, or assembling, of the partsmay be compensated.

As is well known, the platform and scales of the character aforesaidhave a limited vertical and longitudinal play, the vertical movementbeing necessary to admit of the load depressing the platform and thelongitudinal play resulting from the loose connection between theplatform and its supporting-levers. It is the aim to have adjacent beamsof the platform and pit-frame come as close together as possible, so asto prevent dangerous play or movement of the platform, and as a resultthe beams contact and detract materially from the accuracy of thescales. The frictional engagement between these beams is reduced to aminimum amount in accordance with this invention by interposingantifriction-bearings between them. Henceplates 32 and 33 are attachedto the opposing faces or sides of the adjacent beams, and one of theplates is formed with a race or seat 3i to receive balls 35, the latterengaging with the opposite plate. This construction is shown mostclearly in Fig. 8 and admits of the platform moving freely,vertically,and longitudinally.

When the scales are constructed for weighing railroad-cars or longbodies or objects, it is preferred to separate the platform-levers 5 andto provide a rock shaft or bar 6 for each and to extend the arms orlevers l7 and connect them with the bar 20 in a manner similar toconnecting the inner ends of the levers 5 with the lever 16, as shown inFig. 4. The arms 16 at the inner ends of the rock-shaft 6 are connectedwith the inner ends of the levers 5 in a manner similar to connectingthe levers 17 with the rod 20, as indicated in Fig. 5. It is to beunderstood that the loose connections between the levers 5 and arms orlevers of the rock-shaft 6 may be provided in any way so long as freemovement is had without binding of the parts.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new is- 1. Inplatform-scales, levers having their inner ends overlapped and providedwith pendent pivot-studs, a rock-shaft connected to the platform-leversand having an arm or lever, a shackle connected to said arm or lever andcomprising upper and lower plates recessed in their top sides to receivethe pendent pivot-studs of the platform-levers, and means forindependently adjusting the said plates, substantially as described.

2. In platform-scales, levers having their inner ends overlapped andprovided with pendent pivot-studs, a rock-shaft connected to theplatform-levers and having an arm or lever carrying a bearing-pin,eyebolts pendent from said bearing-pin, upper and lower plates mountedon the eyebolts and recessed in their top sides to receive the pendentpivotstuds of the platform-levers, and nuts on the eyebolts forindependently adjusting the said plates, substantially as described.

In platform-scales, platform-levers, a rock-shaft provided with twolaterally-projecting arms, a shackle pivotally and adj ustablyconnecting one of said arms to the platform-levers, a scale-beam, alongitudinallyadjustable bar connected with the scalebeam, a yokecarried by said bar, a plate adjustably connected to the yoke, andhaving a recess in its top, and a pendent pivot-stud on the other arm ofthe rock-shaft and fitting in said recess, substantially as described.

693,847 I d a 4:. In platform-scales, levers having their entlyadjusting the said plates, substantially inner end portions overlappedand provided as set forth. 10 with pendent pivot-studs, a platformconne'c- In testimony whereof I affix my signature tion comprising anarm or lever and a shackle I in presence of two witnesses. connected tosaid arm or lever and comprising AUGUST -DOERING. [L. S.]

upper and lower plates recessed in their top Witnesses: sides to receivethe pendent pivot-studs of J. F. GILMORE, the platform-levers, and meansfor independ- W. F. RIPKE.

